In a computer-implemented networked environment, advertising servers present video advertisements from advertising entities to numerous computing devices that are streaming video content or otherwise viewing/downloading electronic content from a video publisher over the network. For example, a computing device executes a video player application in a web browser to stream video content from an online content publisher. During an advertising break in the video content, the advertising server transmits the video advertisement to the video player application.
In one common type of business arrangement, video advertisements are played at different points in the video content and are charged to the advertising entity on a cost-per-impression basis. The cost-per-impression specifies the cost of the advertisement each time the advertisement is played. The advertising entity is charged for the played video advertisement regardless of the end user's engagement with the video advertisement. For example, if at any point during playback of a video advertisement turns down the volume of the computing device, or otherwise disengages from the video advertisement playback, the advertising entity is still charged for the playback. There is a need to determine the end user's engagement of the video advertisement to more efficiently and accurately charge advertising entities for playback of the video advertisement.